Pirates on the Edge of Forever
by MsBrooklyn
Summary: Set after Wrath of Khan, Kirk is having a moral crisis. A trip to the Guardian of Forever goes awry and Kirk finds pirates instead of Spock.
1. Chapter 1

Pirates on the Edge of Forever By MsBrooklyn  
  
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek, the Mouse owns PotC. I own my imagination.  
  
Dedication: To my brother, the Trekker, who was taken from me two years ago. You would have said this was stupid but you would have read it anyway. And you would have loved it. After all, your favorite episode inspired it....  
  
Prologue  
  
Personal Log of Admiral James T. Kirk Stardate 8130.8  
  
I feel young. I feel old. I lost my best friend and discovered a son. I saw a solar system being born. I wondered about the life that could have been and wasn't. I've thought about the life I've lived and wondered if it was enough.  
  
And now I am standing at the edge of the abyss. All it will take is one step.  
  
"I am the Guardian."  
  
Twenty years have passed since Spock and I followed Bones into this portal, into Earth's past. Since I fell in love with Edith Keeler and had to let her die in order not to change history.  
  
One step. Could I save Spock? Could I prevent the havoc caused by Khan?  
  
"Choose," the Guardian commands.  
  
Could I do something to make my life make sense?  
  
One step.  
  
I jump.  
  
**************************************  
  
The explosion was unexpected.  
  
Kirk blinked and looked around. This wasn't the Enterprise. It wasn't New Genesis. What it was, was a large wooden ship. And it was under attack.  
  
His reverie was broken by a sword point leveled at his chest and two very large, very dirty pirates – yes, pirates – looming over him.  
  
"Commander! We've got one of the blackguards!"  
  
"Hold him, lads! I'm on my way."  
  
The voice was familiar. Disturbingly so. And when the owner of the voice came into view, Kirk could feel his jaw drop. "Harry Mudd?"  
  
"That's Commander Harcourt Fenton Mudd to you, Kirk." The burly man with the walrus mustache smirked at him. "Well, you've certainly aged. "  
  
"And you...haven't. Mudd, how the hell did you find the Guardian? The Federation –"  
  
"Commander. It's Commander. I do believe I outrank you, Captain Kirk."  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, Mudd, but it's Admiral Kirk, and you've violated Federation Code –"  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, the Federation doesn't exist in the 17th Century, Jim, my boy. And as for how I found it, well, let's just say I found a Ferengi who had a friend who had a cousin who knew how to get things."  
  
"The last time I saw you, Mudd –"  
  
Mudd raised a hand. "That was a nasty trick, Kirk, creating a gaggle of Stella robots. It took me some time, but I got out of that mess. And the Guardian sent me here. Welcome to the Caribbean, Kirk."  
  
There was a loud explosion and a cannonball crashed into the mast.  
  
"You seem to be having some difficulty, Harry," Kirk commented.  
  
"Rival pirates. Nothing new."  
  
"They're destroying your ship."  
  
"Yes, well...."  
  
Another explosion cut Mudd off.  
  
Kirk could only stare as the other ship approached. It was large, with black sails and the pirates on board were whooping in triumph.  
  
"Prepare to be boarded!"  
  
**************************************************  
  
Mudd's men threw down their weapons as the crew from the other ship boarded while Mudd, Kirk noted, busied himself drinking from a large cask of liquor.  
  
"No use being sober," Mudd told him. "They're going to take our cargo."  
  
"Which you stole from legitimate merchant ships."  
  
Mudd shrugged idly.  
  
A lean, dreadlocked pirate tapped Mudd on the shoulder with the tip of his sword. "Commander of Stella's Folly, do you surrender?"  
  
"Knew it was bad luck to name the ship after that damned shrew," Mudd muttered, turning to the pirate. "Yes, I surrender. What else am I going to do? It's not like this thing has warp engines hidden somewhere."  
  
The pirate regarded him quizzically for a moment and then turned his gaze to Kirk. "You don't look like one of Mudd's crew."  
  
"He's not." Mudd shot Kirk a sly grin. "He's my prisoner. An admiral, in fact. Commands a little vessel you may have heard of. The Enterprise."  
  
The pirate's eyes met Kirk's. "Enterprise? Is it a merchant vessel?"  
  
"Not at all. She's a flagship of the fleet," Mudd put in. "Kirk's quite the prize. Well, assuming they admit they know him. I know a few Klingons and Romulans who'd pay through the nose for the chance to kill him."  
  
"Mudd!"  
  
"Commander Mudd, Kirk. It's Commander."  
  
"You know," Kirk said, turning to Mudd. "It's been twenty years and you still haven't learned anything."  
  
"Twenty years?!" Mudd guffawed loudly. "By my calculations, it's been three. No wonder you look like you've been through the Neutral Zone on a –"  
  
"Mudd!"  
  
"Your precious Prime Directive doesn't matter to me, Kirk. I'm not one of your lackeys. Speaking of which, where is that pointy –"  
  
"Mudd!" Kirk grabbed the paunchy pirate by his shirt-front and barely stopped his fist before it crashed into Mudd's nose. "Enough."  
  
"Gentlemen!"  
  
Kirk nearly forgot about the pirate. Seeing Khan after twenty years was one thing. Seeing Mudd....well, that was just plain unfair. He gave the pirate his most innocent look. "And you would be?"  
  
"Captain Jack Sparrow. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Admiral...."  
  
"Kirk. James T."  
  
"Admiral Kirk." Sparrow gestured at Kirk with his sword. "As much as I hate to interrupt this lovers' quarrel, I'm afraid I must. You're both coming aboard the Black Pearl."  
  
"Me?" Mudd waved his hands. "Why me? I'm just a humble –"  
  
"There's a nice bounty on yer head, mate. It's one thing to plunder ships, it's another to cheat the man yer selling the goods to. Gives us all a bad name." Sparrow grinned at Mudd, flashing a couple of gold teeth. "And as for the Admiral, here, well, I'm sure he'll prove his worth in one way or another."  
  
Old, Kirk decided. He felt old. 


	2. Chapter 2

"My good Captain Sparrow, surely we can discuss this –"  
  
"By all means, Commander Mudd. After you step into the brig." Sparrow opened the cell door and gestured with his sword. "You, too, Admiral."  
  
Mudd stepped into the cell but Kirk hesitated.  
  
"Come, come, Admiral, we don't have all day."  
  
"I don't suppose," Kirk said, a smile playing about his lips, "that I could convince you to put me in the other cell?"  
  
Sparrow returned the smile as he pushed Kirk into the cell with Mudd. "And ruin your reunion, Admiral? How would I sleep at night?"  
  
"It's a wonder you can sleep now, breaking the Code," Mudd blustered. "Betrayer –"  
  
"Ah, my dear Commander Mudd, it's not betrayal if I don't know you. And believe me, I don't want to."  
  
"Harry, Harry, Harry," Kirk clucked. "You can't go anywhere, can you?"  
  
"It's a simple misunderstanding, Kirk –"  
  
"Is it a simple misunderstanding, Captain Sparrow?" Kirk grinned at the pirate. "From what you said, it sounded rather serious."  
  
Sparrow returned the grin as he slammed the cell door closed. "Aye. Very serious. Our friend here can tell you all about it. Have fun, gents."  
  
Kirk cursed silently as the pirate left him alone with Mudd.  
  
"This is all your fault, Kirk. The minute you appeared –"  
  
Kirk silenced him with a raised hand. "Shouldn't you be convincing me to try to help you?"  
  
"You don't need convincing, Kirk, you're Starfleet through and through. You wouldn't abandon me here."  
  
Kirk didn't say a word.  
  
"Would you?"  
  
"What did you do, Harry?"  
  
"I gold-plated a few trinkets." Mudd shrugged. "Who knew he'd melt them down?"  
  
"Next you'll be telling me you brought a few harmless tribbles with you and sold them as pets."  
  
"Now that's an enterprising idea, Kirk –"  
  
"Mudd!"  
  
"What? Tribbles would make excellent pets –"  
  
"MUDD!"  
  
"They're harmless."  
  
Kirk silenced him with a glare.  
  
"You used to be much more fun when you were younger, Kirk."  
  
*******************************  
  
Tribbles? Starfleet? Gold-plating?  
  
Jack eavesdropped on his share of confusing conversations, but the one between the Admiral and Mudd was confounding as well as confusing.  
  
And despite his dislike of His Majesty's Navy, Sparrow had to admit that this Admiral Kirk intrigued him. The man wasn't the least bit pompous or overbearing. He didn't suffer Mudd's blathering, either.  
  
Jack counted to twenty and then made his way back to the cell. Both men stopped mid-argument at his approach and looked at him expectantly.  
  
Grinning, Jack opened the door. "Admiral, I've had a change of heart. You can come out."  
  
Mudd started to follow but Jack pushed him back in. "Sorry, Harcourt, old boy, but it's just the Admiral I want, savvy?"  
  
"Next time, Harry," the Admiral grinned, "make up a more impressive title for yourself. This one doesn't seem to impress anybody."  
  
"Kirk! You'll pay for this!"  
  
"I'm sure I will." The Admiral smiled affably at Jack. "Lead the way, Captain?"  
  
*********************************  
  
"After you, Admiral." Jack guided Kirk into his quarters and watched Kirk's reaction carefully.  
  
Kirk's eyes swept the room and finally rested on Jack himself.  
  
"Join me for a drink, Admiral?"  
  
"Jim."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Please. Call me Jim, Captain Sparrow."  
  
Jack was expecting military-upper-class bluster, but Kirk seemed....human. He gathered a couple of mugs and filled them with rum.  
  
Kirk sniffed the contents of his mug and raised an eyebrow at Jack. "Rum?"  
  
"Aye. It's all I can offer ye, Jim."  
  
"Believe me, after being in a cell with Mudd, arsenic would be fine." Kirk raised his mug. "To your fine ship, Captain Sparrow, and her victory over Mudd."  
  
"To the Black Pearl."  
  
They sipped the rum in silence.  
  
"I've not heard of the Enterprise."  
  
"I haven't heard of the Black Pearl." Kirk grinned at him. "But here we are."  
  
"Aye, here we are." Affable, but a tactician, Jack realized. "Where are ye from, Jim? I can't place your accent."  
  
Kirk's grin grew wider. "I was raised on a farm."  
  
"And ye're not going to tell me where."  
  
"No. Does it really matter?"  
  
"It would help to know if ye're worth some ransom." Jack let that sink in for a moment. "Mudd mentioned some enemies. The Klingmans?"  
  
"Mudd has no idea what he's saying half the time."  
  
"Have you no wife or sons?"  
  
"My son would probably ask to watch you make me walk the plank."  
  
"You're placing me in a difficult position, Jim."  
  
"Maybe you could use another hand on deck."  
  
"You want to be a pirate?"  
  
"Better a pirate than a prisoner. Besides, I am an admiral. Surely that experience is worth something."  
  
"It might be at that. Ye'd have to prove yourself, mind, but I may consider it. You think you can handle taking orders from me?"  
  
"I think I can give it a try."  
  
"Well, Jim Kirk, I believe we have an accord." 


End file.
